Hey-o. Sorry this took so long though I finished everything up right before new years so at least I did update before the year ended :P Anyway, this is the end of the Sleeping Beauties arc. I was tempted to split it into multiple chapters due to length but I just cut some things out to let it stay as one chapter.
Anyway, an early Happy New Years everyone! Here's to another year of stories and feedback.
Lana hated waiting. Mom always told her that she needed to be patient, to learn when to pick her fights and when to fold 'em, but she never listened. Maybe it was for the best. If she just cut her losses and waited in that church when Pete hunted down Carter she wouldn't be here right now. She wouldn't have helped him fight that fucker Murdock and then she'd still be where she was, hanging out with small time criminals, sneaking into fight clubs to bet and saving for every little bit she could grab.
...But then again William wouldn't have found out about her new gifts and she wouldn't have become the mayor's mascot.
Lana sighed and swung her legs lazily over the edge of the building. There was at least half an hour till school was out and they were still hoping that Sarah Moretti would just leave the campus on her own. If she didn't then they'd have to go in there and she'd already decided she wasn't gonna go solo no matter what they agreed to before. Her sister was too important for her to play twenty questions for hours.
Letting out another breath, she looked down at her hands and at the white energy that ran through her limbs. Apart from those first couple of days she had her powers completely under control without any issues. Apparently that was standard for anyone who got hit by the mist. Bursts of uncontrollable powers followed by by a transitional period of control. She was just glad it didn't happen in a plane or something. She really didn't want to be labeled a terrorist.
Her control was only getting better, though they did tend to fluctuate with how she felt. Right now she felt angry and the bursts of energy only emphasized that. Lana took a deep breath and the energy died down. She needed to calm down. Lily needed her and going off the rails was the last thing she wanted right now.
Lana snapped her fingers and the energy returned. Wasp told her to do exercises to better fine tune her precision. She had to admit, there were a lot less complaints when she didn't blow everything. The energy danced across her arm till it converged on her palm in the shape of a ball. It was harmless. One perk of her new powers was that not everything exploded once it was out of her hands.
Lana tossed it to the air then caught it when it landed. She did that for a few minutes with both hands till she tossed it ahead of her. The ball flew just a few feet before sizzling into nothingness. Pretty trick, but it was just that. Least it gave her something to do with her hands, "Mmh." She leaned back on the parapet wall she sat on top of and made another ball. They were high up enough that she didn't worry about people seeing her. No one ever looked up.
She tossed the ball from one hand to another and looked to her right. Pete was there too, but instead of sitting on top of the parapet he sat with his back against it facing opposite her. Cause of course he had to make sure no one could see him.
He was keeping busy too. His left hand played with a lighter, flicking it open and close or twisting it between his fingers, while his right pressed his phone against his ear. He was calling Cindy about her new case. Apparently they were dealing with a bunch of racist pricks who attacked some pop idol. If Lily and those other people weren't in trouble she would've offered to help out.
"Like I said, Cin, I only tangled with the Watchdogs once. Wasn't really a priority before I left America." He flicked the lighter open and let it hang between two fingers by the handle, "Not much I can say that you don't already know. They're a hate group that used to target minorities before switching over to the Gifted. They were pretty small time but their numbers and funding swelled over the last year. They're militarized."
"Think someone rich is paying for their new toys?" Lana asked. The quiet was killing her.
Pete put the call to speaker before replying, "Possible. Lots of terrorist groups are funded both by true believers and people who think they can use them to their own advantage. Lot of people don't like the new freaks that sprung up so why not not use the people who already hate everyone different from them?"
"So why would they attack me? To send a message of some kind?" A new voice asked. Luna Snow, apparently, the pop idol they saw back in comic con. She wasn't much of a fan of all that pop shit.
"Possible, but you can't discount the possibility that this was either planned meticulously beforehand or a complete impulse job. You said yourself that your appearance was a surprise and wasn't advertised so how did you get attacked so quickly? They either knew beforehand somehow and planned accordingly or they figured they could strike while the iron was hot and didn't bother to making any foolproof plans."
"We talked about that possibility but it seems unlikely this wasn't planned," Cindy said, "Security was abnormally light during the venue and these guys got way too close considering they were packing heat. We're thinking one of the guards might have been paid off or intimidated into letting them get in without a fight."
"Sounds as good a lead as any. If we finish up early with Lana's thing I can swing by and help out if you need it."
"Yeah, same. See you around you two."
Pete cut the call and was about to stuff the phone back in his pocket when an unknown number popped up on the screen. His eyes narrowed (paranoid much?) and he answered it on speaker, "...Who is this?"
"PETEY!" Pete grimaced while Lana cringed at just how loud the voice was. She didn't know the guy's voice but Pete looked more annoyed than worried, "Finally, been tryin' to call you for days! Says here that you blocked my old number? Musta been a mistake, right? You wouldn't do that to your old pal Wade, would you?"
"Wilson." Pete sighed, "I told you to call only in emergencies."
"But this is an emergency! See, me and the boys - well, girls too since Domino's coming with! - are heading over to New York for a job! The really big and super kind! So I figured, well, why not ask my good old buddy Petey to show us around?"
"I'm busy-"
"Cause he'd totally do that considering I saved his life a few months ago. I mean he could not do that but then he'd be a real big dick, wouldn't he?" Wow...subtle.
"...Fine, but I'm busy right now so leave me alone."
"Oooh, I knew you'd help out! We're gonna have so much-"
He cut the call and quickly blocked the number, "Damn it..." He pinched the bridge of his nose then closed the lighter with an irritated flick.
"Someone's popular." Lana smirked.
"Shut it." He stood and leaned next to her on the parapet, already grabbing for another cigarette. Lana rolled her eyes. As much as she wasn't in any room to judge he really was a walking fumigator nowadays, "You know this is part of the reason why I have doubts about Gwen's plan for me to have a 'fulfilling college life'." He blew out a frustrated plume of smoke, "Feel like I'm getting pulled in every direction."
"I hate to blame the victim, Pete, but you could just say no. No one's putting a gun to your head."
"Yeah, sure, I'll think about that next time you want me to do something nice for you."
"Oh, no, I'm totally different. You say yes to me all the time. No exceptions."
"Pfft, sure. Anything else you want, master?"
The tone was mocking but she couldn't help the slight heat in her cheeks. Pete calling master, maybe with a butler suit and a collar...shit, focus!, "Nothing yet, but I'll tell you soon, peasant," she said in a snooty voice. Pete laughed, which meant it was worth it, "You know...this is nice. Not my sister and those other people being in comas, but just us spending time together again. I missed this."
"We've been busy." Pete shrugged, "Makes sense. You're an Initiative superstar and I'm still cleaning up Matt's mess. But if you ever need help with anything I'll always be there. You know that, right?"
"That's not what I meant." She let out a frustrated breath, "We should...hang out again! Like without any big supervillains or any of the people we love getting fucked over."
"We did just go to that comic thing a couple of days ago."
She scoffed, "We went there with everyone. I meant just the two of us. Seriously, how long's it been since we spent some time as just Peter and Lana?"
"It has been a while, I'll admit." He finished off his cigarette and tucked it into a portable ashtray, "Sure. When we make it through this let's go do one of those...things you weird teenagers like."
"You're 19, Pete. Quit acting like you're hot shit." She punched him lightly in the shoulder and looked back down at the campus across the street, "So...I don't see Moretti anywhere. Hell, I don't see anyone coming out."
"That makes things more difficult." He sighed, "Guess you'll have to go in there. Keep a phone line open so I can listen in."
"Yeah...nuh-uh. We're both going in there."
"I thought we agreed-"
"This is too important for us to play lie detector, Pete. You're better at pulling info than I am so I'm not just gonna let you sit out here with your thumb up your ass. We're both going in there." She crossed her arms and made it clear it wasn't a request.
"You forgetting the 'minor' issue of me still being a vigilante? This time we won't have Gwen's Avenger credentials to make them look the other way."
"I'll deal with it. Just trust me."
Dealing with it ended up going through the front door and slipping past the guard by flashing her Inititative card (after waiting a couple of minutes for him to verify it was legit). Since they weren't wearing their masks or costumes they got away with making it to the front desk without a lot of looks. Lana kept her head held high and tried to look confident as she eyed the guy manning the front desk. Young looking guy with glasses who looked like he'd seen everything already.
"May I help you?" His smile was polite and didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Initiative business." She set the card on the table and slid it across to him, "My name is Lana Baumgartner, codename Striker. I'm doing an investigation in a series of attacks took place over the past few weeks. We believe that one of the students here, one Sarah Moretti, may have information that can help us in our search."
"Ah yes, Mr. Baker out front informed me of your appearance." He picked up the card and gave it a quick once over before setting it back down, "Initiative business means that we're compelled to cooperate, though if I may..." He looked Pete up and down, "May I please have his card as well? I know Initiative operatives work in pairs or teams but I need to be certain of both your affiliations."
"The guard already let us in, what's the problem?" Lana asked.
"Mr. Baker's complacency was noted but I'm afraid I'll have to be more thorough. Now, your identification card, please?" What the fuck? This guy acted more like an actual guard than the one out front.
"Uh...yeah, see he's not actually a member of the Initiative." The guy's eyes narrowed and she could tell he was already moving to say no, "But he is my partner in this and I think he'll be crucial in getting the information we need."
"Be that as it may I'm not at liberty to let you question our students without any form of identification or government ID."
"Look, just...just the call the Initiative hotline. Number's on my card. I'll explain the situation to them and if- when they agree to let him come with me will that be enough?"
"This is highly unorthodox, but if you can get a guarantee from the Initiative then I suppose that's alright." He picked up his phone without looking away from Pete even once. Props to the guy, but what did he expect was gonna happen? That he'd throw down with Spider-Man? For his part Pete just looked back and didn't say a word.
Lana sighed and took a look around. The front desk area was pretty sparse with just a few milling students around. Unlike her own school the place didn't have a uniform, though they did still have a dress code, so neither of them stuck out that much in their civvies. Thankfully no one overheard their conversation so as far as anyone was concerned they were just a couple of visitors.
Mr. Pembroke (thank God for nametags) exchanged a few words before handing her the phone, "Ms. Baumgartner," the cold, clinical voice on the other end said. She didn't recognize her, but that was probably because she didn't exactly make a habit of calling the hotline, "Could you please clarify this investigation you're undertaking?"
"Yeah, okay, see there's women all over the city going comatose and we have reason to think that someone's magicking them to sleep." Pete tried to go for another cig only for Pembroke to grab it out of his hand. Heh, "Nico Minoru, alias Sister Grimm, is at the hospital right now trying to investigate the spell. While she's doing that I'm trying to talk to witnesses and see if I can find a link."
"Noted. Now what was this about you having an unregistered partner? Are you involving a civilian in your investigation."
"He's...not exactly a civilian. He can take care of himself, trust me."
"I need a name, Ms. Baumgartner."
Lana took a deep breath. Moment of truth, "...Spider-Man."
The other end became deathly quiet long enough that Lana wondered if the call cut out. She was tempted to call them back when the voice spoke up again, "Spider-Man." The woman went from cold to permafrost. Lana felt chills from here, "Let me see if I understand this correctly, you're attempting to conduct an investigation - using Initiative credentials, mind you - while in the company of a wanted vigilante."
Well, when she put it like that... "Yeah, I am. So could you give the guy here a guarantee that it's all good?"
"No, Ms. Baumgartner, I most certainly cannot tell him that it's 'all good'." Oof, she sounded pissed. She liked it better when she sounded like a robot, "Leaving aside the fact that this is blatantly against the organizations rules, Spider-Man himself is a dangerous vigilante that has no place working alongside an Initiative operative-"
"Bullshit!" she shouted. A few of the milling students turned to look at her and she grimaced, making sure her next words were said in a whisper, "You and I both know he's more than good enough to keep up."
"It's not his skills that worry me, Ms. Baumgartner. He is a criminal, something I'm sure you're aware of."
"He's also one of the only reasons this place didn't turn into a demon's bitch yard." Pete gave her a side-eyed look of worry and she waved him off, "Look, he's one of the only people here who knows how to deal with magical bullshit and this is definitely magic, Nico confirmed it. Unless you have another fucking magician on standby besides Nico he's the only one who can help me here."
"This is highly inappropriate-"
"My sister's one of the victims." Lana grit her teeth. She hated using Lily like this but they didn't hours to waste arguing about jurisdiction and legality, "I'll do any fucking paperwork you want after this. Fuck, suspend me or kick me out! But I need him!"
It was quiet again after that. She was tempted to just cut the call, fuck the consequences, before the cold voice spoke, "Given the circumstances we will agree to take responsibility for his presence there. However." Lana winced, "Should anything more than an invesitgation happen I assure you that you won't be free of the consequences and your father's position will do little to help you. Are we clear, Ms. Baumgartner."
"Yeah, crystal..." Her grip on the phone tightened. It wasn't all of them, but a chunk of the people at the Initative thought that she was nothing more than a spoiled rich kid coasting on daddy's connections. She gave up trying to correct them a couple of days in. She knew from experience that people would always find a reason to hate someone no matter how much they had to work back to it.
"Good. Please hand the phone back to the one who called us."
Lana did then let out a deep breath. Well...that worked. Honestly she was lucky they didn't just laugh in her face. Spider-Gwen and Cindy were Avengers so they could get away with shit like that. Lana wouldn't have been surprised if she got kicked out once the day was done.
"You alright?" Pete muttered.
"Yeah, just starting to miss the good old days when I was a vigilante."
They both waited for Pembroke to finish whatever he was doing, "I've informed the faculty of your business. Ms. Moretti is currently staying at her room, number 301, and you will be accompanied there by one of our teachers, Mr. Sullivan. He is required to be present in the room for the duration of your questioning in order to ensure liability and legality of your procedure."
"From my experience students tend to be cagey around teachers," Pete said.
"Moreso than when questioned by a vigilante? I find that difficult to believe?" Was...that meant to be a joke? Pete actually smiled, "Regardless this is something we cannot budge on. This is irregular enough as it is."
"We'll take it," Lana said quickly. They'd just have to deal with it when it happened.
Mr. Sullivan was an older guy with short, styled hair and a neat mustache. His mouth was curled up in a polite smile and he greeted them both in a surprisingly friendly tone, "Ms. Baumgartner, Mr. Parker, please to meet you both." He offered them a hand that they both reluctantly shook. It was...weird seeing someone who didn't look like he had a gun to his head, "I'll be your chaperone while you're here on campus. Apologies for the bother."
"U-Uh, no, it's cool." She couldn't exactly be a dick while the guy was being so welcoming, could she? "So...mind telling us a bit about Moretti? We didn't exactly have a file on her."
"I only have a few classes with Ms. Moretti so I can't say much, but from my professional opinion as a teacher I'd say she's a normal student. Her grades are above average and while she has gotten in trouble now and then it's nothing out of line for any other teenager."
"What about Samantha Seers?" Pete asked.
"Ah, yes, our resident problem child." He didn't sound annoyed despite the words, "Other teachers mark her as a bad influence on Ms. Moretti, but again I can't claim to know her very well. I heard she was hospitalized recently. I hope she's alright."
"Us too," Lana said.
They ended up in 301 soon after. Sullivan knocked on the door for them, "Ms. Moretti? Something's come up and we'd like to ask you a few questions. Could you please let us in?"
"Yeah, alright, gimme a sec."
The sounds of shuffling came from inside and the door opened after half a minute. The girl on the other end looked just like her socials profile pic: long dark hair tied up in a ponytail with to piercings in her right ear. The white shirt she wore had an image of a fish across the front and her jeans were torn in a way that actually looked natural.
"What's this about?" she asked.
"Don't worry, you're not in trouble," Lana said first. She handed her the card, "I'm Striker from the Initiative. Me and my partner are investigating a case of mysterious attacks all across the city and we were hoping that you might know something."
"Attacks...? I...I don't remember seeing anything like that..."
"We probably shouldn't be speaking out here. Could you let us inside?" Pete asked.
Moretti nodded and stepped aside to let them in. It was a typical dorm that reminded her of the room she and Anya shared. Not as fancy, definitely, but more cozy. One side of the room was neat and stuck with just a few posters and other personal items while the other looked a lot more lived in with various pictures, memorabilia, tech and...was that a Thor selfie? The hell did she get that?
"So what's this about, Mr. Sullivan?" Moretti sat down on the more sparsely decorated bed. Must've been her side of the room.
"Ah, actually I'm just here to be a witness for liability reasons. For all intents and purposes you can just ignore me." He took one of the spare chairs near a desk.
"Uh...okay?" She looked to Lana now, "You were saying something about an attack?"
"An attack, but probably not what you're thinking about." Pete said. He was leaning back with his arms crossed against the wall. She almost facepalmed at how much of a tryhard he looked, "Your roommate's in the hospital right now, isn't she?"
"Yeah, but..." She paused and chewed on her lower lips, "But...that wasn't an attack. I was there. We were on our way to class when she just..." She looked away with a pained expression.
"It's hard to explain, but...ah, fuck it." Lana sighed, "It was magic, okay? We investigated some of the victims and found out that magic was involved, that's why your friend an a bunch of other women just collapsed and no one fucking knows what happened to them."
"Magic? I...wait, that doesn't make any sense."
"But the aliens and devils do?" Pete snarked. It always pissed him off whenever somebody did that.
"Well...alright, sure." She shrugged weakly.
"Magic, science, doesn't fucking matter. Point is that these people are in trouble and it's because of one guy." Lana pulled up the drunk selfie on her phone and handed it to Moretti. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw the image, "The only lead we have is this guy. Both your friend and another woman were dating him in the same time period and then they both end end up in a coma. Way too suspicious."
"What if it's just a coincidence?"
"Be a pretty big one of it was," Pete said, "A lead's a lead. We'll follow anything we can get."
"Can you tell us anything about this guy and how your friend was acting? Anything we can use?" Lana asked.
"I...no, I don't think so. I didn't really know the guy." Pete's eyes narrowed and he raised his head slightly? A lie already? "I mean I heard that Sam had a new boyfriend but that wasn't really a big deal. She dates around and they never really last long."
"Hmm." Pete stepped off the wall and walked over the desk near Seers' bed and picked up a notebook. Lana's brows furrowed? Was she supposed to keep asking questions? A little heads up might've been nice.
"Was your friend acting odd before she collapsed? Did she say anything or do anything that wouldn't normally do?" Lana asked.
"Not really. I mean she found a new boyfriend, but that's nothing new. Didn't think it was serious." Just like Lily. Coincidence or an actual connection?
"And she just told you about this?" Pete asked.
"Yeah. I mean I never saw the guy-" Another hum from Pete, "-but I didn't think there was anything wrong or new about it. Like I said she dates around so I mostly don't pay attention whenever she dumps someone and gets a new guy."
"Hm." Pete set down the picture he was examining. It had Seers and what looked like her mom and dad in front of a church. Good, God-fearing girl, huh? "So...you want to tell us the actual truth or do we have to play pretend for a few more minutes?"
Moretti's eyes went wide, "Wh-What?"
"You know who this guy is. I'm pretty sure you met him. Not sure why you're fibbing, but if we can't figure out the real reason then we're gonna be forced to assume you're involved somehow and the Initiative will want to take you in for questioning."
"Please don't make us do this the hard way." Lana crossed her arms. She wasn't sure if she could bring her in but she knew enough about the authorities to know that the threat of something was enough to make people cave.
"I..." She bit her lip and looked at the still-quiet teacher, "Could we talk alone, please?"
"I have a feeling that what you're going to say will lead you to a lot of trouble if a teacher were to overhear. Am I getting that right?" Mr. Sullivan asked. Moretti bit her lip nodded, causing the older man to sigh and look to Lana, "If you find this person it means that Ms. Seers and all the other victims will be saved, yes?"
"We definitely know that if we don't do anything that they'll stay in the hospital. And that's the best case scenario."
Mr. Sullivan sighed again then stood up, "Then I suppose I'll be taking my smoke break early. I can give you a few minutes at most before the rest of the faculty become suspcious, however. Please try to make it quick."
"Appreciate it." Pete handed him a cigarette that Mr. Sullivan accepted with a wry smile. They waited till he was out of the room before he continued, "So what made you so leery of saying something?"
Moretti paused and took a deep breath, "I did meet the guy, but we weren't friends or anything. We, uh...me and Sarah sometimes sneak out."
"Sometimes?" Lana asked.
"Yeah. You know, every couple of days or so." That sounded a hell of a lot more than 'sometimes' to her but she wasn't gonna judge. What she did with herself was her business, "We, uh...we go to parties and clubs, maybe a couple of raves here and there. Sarah knows a guy in the faculty so we know when to sneak in and out without getting caught. We've been doing it a couple of years now."
"That doesn't explain why you didn't say shit earlier," Lana said.
"Are you kidding me? This place is practically a convent. Doesn't look it but they clamp down hard on anyone. If they even know that me and Sarah had fake ID's they'd probably suspend us or kick us out just for that. Mr. Sullivan would definitely say something. Shit, now that they know Sarah's in a coma cause of some fucked up magician they'll probably pin some of it on. Like it's my fault cause I was with her when we met the guy."
"If you want we'll keep your name out of anything. All we need is information," Lana said.
"We...We met the guy at this club called Afterlife. It's this place near downtown 53d street." Moretti handed her a phone that had the full address, "Only people 21 and older can get in so we had a couple of fake ID's done up." Another thing they'd hold against her, Lana thought, "It wasn't really my scene but Sarah loved it. Then she met this guy..."
"Is this him?" Lana showed her the drunken selfie on Seers' profile.
"Mm-hm." She nodded, "His name's Jackson, by the way. Don't know his last name. I kinda figured that it wouldn't last long and he'd be gone in 2 weeks, a month tops. But then she sounded like she was in love. Guy gave her everything she asked for. Drinks, jewelry, clothes...I wondered if he was her sugar daddy or something."
"And she didn't act off at all?" Pete asked.
"She was tired a lot before she got put in the hospital but I figured that was cause she was going out a lot. She's been doing it even without me. I warned her she was really pushing it and she said it was cool. And then she..."
"This club, how many times you been there?" Lana asked.
"Just a couple of times. Like I said it wasn't my scene. I know that's where they usually meet, though."
"It's the closest thing we have to a lead," Pete said, "Problem is finding the guy. I've been through nightclubs before and tracking people inside is always a real headache. Crowds also make chases difficult."
"Then why don't we make him come to us?" Lana uncrossed her arms, "This guy's going after girls, right? There must've been something about Seers that made him pounce. Tell us everything about what happened that night. What kind of clothes was she wearing, what was she doing, what did she talk about with Prince Charming. Anything we can use to rope him in."
"...I'm guessing you're planning to be the bait here?" Pete asked.
"Who else?" Lana scoffed, "Don't worry too much, Pete. I can take care of myself and you'll be there to help me out, right?" She smiled sweetly at him. Honestly she was really hoping that if it came down to a fight he wouldn't need to be involved. She still wanted to keep her promise.
"I still think this is too risky..."
"Says the guy who went undercover as a 7 year old."
They spent a few more minutes gleaning what they could from Moretti about that night. The clothes Seers wore, the drinks she bought, what she talked about and did before and after the guy showed up... Lana absorbed it all like a sponge. Luring the guy out was a longshot - shit, they didn't even know if he'd be at the club tonight - but they didn't have a whole lot of other options.
The three were just about finished compiling a list when Mr. Sullivan came back with an apology that he couldn't stay out any longer, "It's fine. We're finished here anyway." Pete set down another picture, this one with both Seers and Moretti posing in front of a monument, "By the way, I appreciate you not eavesdropping."
"Of course. Please make sure Ms. Seers is okay."
They left the building without drawning any more attention. Pete was right, going in without a mask was definitely the better option. Even if she wasn't as popular as a bonafide Avenger there'd be at least a few people who'd want pics just for the clicks it'd get.
"You sure about this?" Pete asked once they were outside. Of course he lit up a cig as soon as he asked.
"Why not? Not like it's any more dangerous than everything else we do."
"A straight up fight is easy to understand, at least. Take it from me, going undercover's a pain in the rear."
"Would you relax? Like I said I'll do all the fighting here."
"Still..."
"You don't have to worry about me, Pete. I'll be alright." He punched his right arm lightly.
"Can you blame me after..." After what happened with Bullseye, neither of them said. It was quiet for a while after that. They didn't say a word to one another till they arrived at Lily's place to pick up the right clothes to wear. Apparently it was a mostly green ensemble and thankfully Lily had just the thing, "...I'm sorry for saying that. I know you can take care of yourself, but-"
"No, it's fine." She sighed, "Look, Pete...this life's dangerous, you and I both know it. I know we're not stupid enough to think we're gonna die in bed, right?" He didn't say anything, "Honestly? Yeah, I'm fucking rattled, but it's not because I was in danger. I can deal with that. I just hate the fact that asshole tried to hurt mom and my friends and there wasn't anything I could do about it. But I can do something here now. I can save Lily."
"Yeah, maybe you're right..." He tossed the cig at a nearby trashcan, "I dunno, I still don't think it's weird for me to worry about my sister."
"Last I checked mom didn't adopt you...and it'd be pretty fucking weird if she did considering how you two met." She tried to ignore the annoying fluttering in her chest. It was both sweet and really bitter. Yeah, she gave up any chance of ever actually dating him, but it still felt weird being called family by your crush.
"You ever gonna let that go?"
"Nope. Now come on, I gotta suit up."
The Afterlife was...kinda disappointing, actually. For being so 'hardcore' it didn't really have anything she hadn't seen before. Sure there were guys snorting drugs and an orgy or two on the second floor but if that was what counted as hardcore then Lana was really disappointed. Then again, that probably just said more about her than the club.
Speaking of...
"I can't believe we had to do that." Lana blew into her hands to try and keep warm, which wasn't helped by the airconditioning. Her outfit only made it worse. The green tube top, black shorts and boots left her practically half naked and made her wish for her jumpsuit and coat again.
"Easier this way." Pete looked just fine even though he had to sneak them both with that invisibility smoke bullshit. Instead of just going through the front door with a couple of fake ID's he figured that it was better they sneak in under an invisibility cape like Hermione fucking Granger and turning visible again once they were sure no one was looking. Once they were inside they'd be home free.
And she agreed but that didn't help freezing her tits off.
"Now I know why you don't just go invisible for everything fight," she hissed.
"Spider-God's got a funny sense of humor." He looked over the crowd. He'd changed too, though nothing as fancy as hers. He put on a fancy olive jacket over a skintight shirt along with a pair of stylish jeans and classic sneakers. He looked like he hated every second of it but coming in with a turtleneck and cargo pants would just attract the wrong kind of attention.
She was sure Spider-Gwen'd appreciate it too.
"Hate going to place like this..." he muttered.
"You're not the one who's half naked, so shut it." She rubbed away the last of the chill and looked over the crowd. The place was fucking packed. If they were trying to find Jackson on their own they were out of luck, "...You know, I can't be the only one who thinks it's weird that we helped save this city like three times but we're still not old enough to get in here through the front door?"
"Count yourself lucky they didn't just ban drinks altogether. Prohibition wasn't fun for a lot of people."
"Alright, let's do this." Lana put on her best game face.
"I'll blend into the crowd and keep an eye out. The second something's up I'll be there."
"Got it."
She spent the next couple of hours doing everything Seers did: dancing, drawing attention to herself, flirting with strangers, having a few drinks...if she didn't have to worry about Lily and all those other women it might've actually been fun. Except for the part when some guy who looked past 40 groped her ass. That was less fun. Maybe she could take Sue and the others somewhere safer like this when they were old enough.
She was leaning on the bar with her fourth drink (thank god for her new metabolism) when someone sidled up next to her, "Hey." The man himself finally showed up. Lana did her best to keep a lopsided smile and resisted the urge to deck him right then and there. This guy was either the mastermind or working for someone. Either way picking a fight here wouldn't work.
"Hey yourself." She lightly touched his wrist. From what Moretti told them Seers was pretty aggressive and the alcohol didn't help. She had to get this guy alone, "Want a drink? My treat." She side-eyed the crowd and saw Pete hanging around with a drink in hand near the corner wall.
"Think I'll take you up on that."
They chatted on and off for the next half hour. Lana kept touching and fluttering her eyelashes, scooting closer with every drink. She made a show of looking at her phone and letting out a sigh, "Oh damn, is it that time already?" She set down her drink, "I gotta go. Got some stuff to do."
"Sure you can't stay any longer?" He gave her a charming smile. If he wasn't such a piece of shit she might've been flattered.
"No, it's really important." She touched his wrist again, "You could come with me? I'd feel much safer with someone like you making sure I get back home safely."
"Love to, but I still have plans too." He sighed too and brought out his phone, "Let's swap numbers and meet up...maybe in a couple days?"
Shit, she knew this'd happen. The guy didn't just bring girls back to fuck them, he went the whole nine yards. They could cut their losses and meet up later but she didn't like the idea of leaving his victims in that state any longer than they already did, "Come on." She leaned against the counter and pressed up close against him, her head on his neck. She lightly sucked at the skin, "Don't leave a girl hanging now."
"I really shouldn't..." She felt his breath hitch and both hands grabbed her shoulders. She thought he'd pull her even closer but then he suddenly shoved her off. The look in his eyes was replaced with something else, "...You shouldn't be here."
"What-"
That was as far as she got before something smacked her in the back of the head. Lana nearly fell out of her seat and just barely realized that she'd just gotten hit with a bottle of wine, "Lana!" She turned around just in time to see Pete slide across the bar and tackle the bartender holding the still-intact bottle. Did...Did he just attack her? Why?
It was utter chaos after that. Jackson shoved her off and when she tried to grab him again a few more employees immediately jumped her. Lana fought them off and looked around in a panic, "Shit, he's getting away!" Lana shouted. She raised a hand to aim at his back and stopped when he pushed his way through the crowd. She couldn't risk anyone innocent getting hurt, "Pete, he's-"
"I know!" He smashed the bartender's head against the counter only to be grabbed from behind by one of the bouncers. He struggled for a second then flipped him to the ground before stomping his face. Was the entire fucking club in on this thing?! She kicked away a waiter trying to stab her with a corkscrew and ran through the crowd. Half of them figured something was wrong and were rushing to the exit while the other half kept going like it was just another tuesday. Knowing this place it probably was.
"Lana, don't kill any of them!"
"What?!"
"Something's wrong! I don't think they're themselves!" He dodged another tackle and kicked the bouncer in the gut, "You can knock them out, but make sure they're still breathing!"
"Fine!"
Lana pushed through the throngs of people. Her new powers weren't any help here if she just kept bumping into people, "Fuck, fuck!" He was on the second floor now. Lana made sure there was no one around her then aimed at the ground. She flew through the air and landed on the prick just before he rounded the corner out of sight, "Got you, you fucker! Just-"
Another big guy did a running kick that hit her right in the jaw. Lana fell on her back and Jackson scrambled away, "Agh, fuck-" She looked up and rolled away just in time to avoid getting a stomp to the throat. She swept her leg to knock him to the ground then punched him in the face hard enough to knock him out. Hey, she didn't have webs so fuck it. A concussion was better than dying.
She stood up shakily and kept going after Jackson, knocking out anyone else who tried to stop her. He was nearly out of the second floor exit when she boosted herself and tackled him against the wall. She blocked his panicked punch and punched him in the gut, "Fucking stay down." He fell on his knees, spit and vomit dribbling out of his mouth, then she kicked him in the face for good measure. She made sure not to knock out any of his teeth. He still needed to talk.
"Fuck..." She brought out her phone and sent a quick message to Pete on where to meet up.
Lana slung Jackson over her shoulder and dashed out of the club. As much as she wanted to go back and help Pete she knew he'd want her to make sure what they came for wasn't wasted. She boosted up a building a couple of blocks down and dumped Jackson on the ground, "Let's hope you're not into this shit." She brought out the zipties and tied his hands and legs together. Just in case he figured jumping was a good idea.
It was ten minutes later when Pete finally showed up, "Nice place."
"Thank you." She smiled crookedly, "Hey, sorry about leaving. I know I said I'd do all the fighting-"
"You did the right thing. Besides, neither of us could've figured that place was a deathtrap." He couched down in front of Jackson and checked his face for injuries.
"I didn't kill anyone like you said." Not that she went out of her way to kill people like Watson, but even in the Initiative they were told that option was always on the table if needed, "What were you saying about those guys being brainwashed?"
"Hard to explain. When the entire place went cuckoo...my spider-sense went haywire, but not in the usual way. It was a warning for danger and something else." He let go of Jackson's face, "Guessing he's the same way. It would explain why the entire place snapped. The person pulling the strings must've felt something was wrong and flipped their switch.
"So...how the hell are we gonna make Jackson talk if he's brainwashed? Do you know any magic to fix it?"
"No."
"Guess we gotta call Nico."
Jackson woke up before Nico arrived. Lana leaned against the parapet and ignored the guy's ranting, "You will pay for this! My mistress shall not take this insult lightly!" Huh, least they knew it was a chick now, "Her powers are beyond any feeble resistance you could ever hope to muster! You shall both fall! You shall-"
"Really starting to wish this guy wasn't brainwashed..." Lana muttered.
"We're almost finished."
Soon enough Nico finally showed up, "Any luck on your end, Minoru?" Pete asked.
"I stopped the spell for all the women. Their conditions should be stable now, but actually waking them up is another thing entirely."
"That might be why the people in the club went insane. A new 'victim' just in time for the spell to be taken out would make anyone paranoid.
"Speaking of, the cops are over at the club right now. Thankfully no one dided, but that still caused a panic. You're gonna have a lot of explaining to do after this, Lana." Nico said. Lana grimaced and didn't say anything. Nico looked past them to the ranting prettyboy, "That's him, then? The one who's brainwashed?"
"Don't really make a point of kidnapping random dudes, Nico."
"Alright, then I'll see what I can do."
Seeing Nico perform magic never stopped being weird. Sure maybe seeing blood swirling around them wasn't the weirdest thing she's ever seen but it was still something she wasn't used to. The guy's ranting continued till Nico finished her incantation. His eyes became half-lidded and unfocused and all his struggling suddenly stopped. It was fucking eerie.
"...You still alive, Jackson?" Pete asked.
"H-Huh?" He looked up at the three of them in confusion then down at his ziptied hands and legs, "...Wh-What's going on? I dunno..."
"Is he faking?" Lana asked Pete.
"No. It's the truth." Great...now she felt bad about hating the guy, "We don't have time for long explanations. Do you remember anything you've been doing for the past couple of weeks? Going to clubs and flirting with women? Being in relationships?" Jackson shook his head, "That makes things more complicated. What do you remember?"
"I...I'm not sure how long ago it was, but the last thing I remember was...going to a hotel. My friend insisted that I go. He was acting really odd, but I didn't really think a lot about it back then. Then I met this...woman." His eyes glazed over again, "She was so...beautiful. I felt like I'd do anything for her. She kissed me and then..." He shook his head, "Everything's a blur after that. Felt like I was dreaming and then...I'm awake now."
"I'm sorry you had to go through that," Pete said. Lana felt too guilty to add to it, "Could you tell us where this hotel was? From the sounds of it that seems to be this dame's base of operations."
"Y-Yeah, it's the Golden Dragon over at Grand Central. Can't miss it."
"Guess we know where to go." Lana nodded, "You coming, Nico."
"I want to, but it sounds like this is bigger than than I thought. It'd be better if I call a friend of mine over to give us some backup."
"Then I guess it's just the two of us, Pete." She looked down at her outfit, "...Let's get changed first, though."
The Golden Dragon really was hard to miss. A quick search online showed that it was a five star hotel, the kind people like William went to for their sunday brunch, "Ready for this?" Lana asked. She didn't bother with subtlety and they both changed into their costumes sans mask. From what it sounded like the queen bitch already knew they were coming so there was no point playing nice.
"As I'll ever be."
They both stepped through the front door and...nothing. They expected to either get mobbed by brainwashed goons or see that everything was business as usual. Instead there was absolutely nobody there, "What the fuck..." It was fucking creepy. The brightly lit rooms and front desk with absolutely no one around. Felt like they were in a haunted house, "Where the hell did everyone go?"
"Your guess is as good as mine." He winced and rubbed his forehead, "Something's wrong with this place."
"Danger?"
"Yeah, but something else, too. Magic's thick in the air. Feels like I'm suffocating in it." She didn't feel anything. Hopefully this wouldn't end with her having another fucked up daydream, "...Source is coming from the top floor, probably the penthouse. That's where we need to be."
"Jeez, what is this, a fucking RPG? We better get some good loot for this."
"Doubt it."
They walked over to the elevator and clicked the penthouse floor once they were inside, "What the...?" She tapped the button again when it didn't light up, "Elevator busted or something?"
"Think so." He sighed, "Any other options? Not sure I can make it up there even with Spider-Woman's webshooters."
"Stairs don't go up to that floor. Might be able to run up that wall but it's gonna he really fucking hard." She could run up buildings before but this place was fucking huge. She really didn't wanna see what'd happen if she fell or tripped halfway, "Fuck, we'll think of something. Let's go up the stairs and see where we go from there."
"Fine by me."
Lana was barely out of the elevator when the doors slammed shut behind her, "What the fuck?!" She turned around and tried to pry the stainless steel open. Above her head she heard the telltale dings and she glanced up to see that the elevator was going up far faster than normal.
And then she heard the footsteps to her left.
Lana let the doors go and dashed back in a quick burst of light, only just missing the barrage of gunfire that hit where she just was, "Fuck, are you kidding me?! I don't need this right now!" She snarled and looked at the mind controlled(?) bellhops packing SMG's.
She needed to make this quick.
Back inside the elevator, Peter put on his mask and double checked his weapons. A trap, of course. Then again they didn't really have much choice. He did try calling Daimon and Ketch for help but they were busy. Apparently there was another cult down south worshipping a demon called Paimon and they had to deal with it. Sometimes Peter wondered how this dimension survived so long before now.
The double doors opened with a light ding. Peter held his gun with both hands and raised it warily as he stepped outside. The place was fancy, the very picture of human excess. Place like this could probably build a home for a few dozen people, "Hm..." He did a quick scan of the area then focused his spider-sense, "Shit..." Nothing. The magic was even thicker here.
He took two steps into the living room when he heard footsteps above him, "I wasn't expecting any guests." He aimed at the source of the voice...and it took everything he had for his grip to not loosen. She was...beautiful. No, that was an insult. She was radiant. A goddess made flesh. Her blonde hair, loose and still wet from a shower, shined brightly and what flesh he could glean from the emerald green bathrobe was flawless and radiated with ethereal beauty.
She was...perfect. No one and nothing else could compare.
...
Something was wrong.
The woman - goddess, perfection made manifest...stop it! Peter winced and shook his head while the godde...she picked up a bottle of wine and filled a chalice with it, "I hope you don't mind. The alcohol in this place is exquisite."
She was messing with his mind. It wasn't the first time he'd had telepths trying to pry his head open but this felt different. The Spider-God was protective of its toys and kept everyone else out. It was the same reason why Gwen's partner couldn't take him over and why Martin's corruption failed. But now he felt vulnerable and alone.
"You're..." Perfect. The one he loved above all, "You were the one who attacked those woman and controlled those men."
"Hmm? Oh, yes, but I'm sure you didn't come here for that." She took a slow, tantalizing sip of the blood red wine. What he'd do to have her lips on his, "Come now, I can see you're burdened by something. That's why you're here, isn't it? You want to be free of all that.
Free...to not have to worry about dying, to think about what else he'd have to face. Demons, Vampires, the Hand, Bullseye...if they were just gone and he could live his life. Wasn't that worth any price? "I..." He felt his worries melt away. Who cared about Bullseye? Someone else could take care of him and the rest of the damn things in this madhouse trying to blow itself up. He could just be free here, couldn't he?
"Why did you...do this...?"
"For their beauty, silly boy. Those women...wasting their lives away, their mortal lives so short and sad. I took their beauty to add to my own and in exchange I gave them a time of bliss with the men of their dreams. An equivalent exchange, hm? I even spared their lives as a mercy. Why cut their pathetically small lives even more?" Yes, it made sense. Add their looks to someone whose beauty would never fade. It all made so much sense.
"You're so..."
"Hush, no need to say any more." She set the glass down and approached him. Both hands cupped his cheeks and he had to bite his tongue from groaning at just the contact, "I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Amora, but to you I will be your master. Your every waking moment will be devoted to me." Her lips were just inches from his now, "You will be mine forever."
Hers...but then, what about...
Gwen.
With all his remaining strength, he grabbed the hellfire knife from its sheath and swung it at her face. It was too slow, he knew that before he even finished the arc. The woman's eyes widened and she stepped back to avoid the clumsy swipe. She grabbed his outstretched arm before he could it back, "Isn't this interesting?" Her graceful smile was gone, replaced by an ugly scowl that somehow still made her look radiant, "You're more stubborn than you look."
She tightened her grip on his wrist till he let go of the knife with a pained cry, "You can't...control me..." he spat out weakly.
"Oh, we'll see about that." She sneered, "I'd hoped to make this pleasant for you, but I don't care about breaking your mind if that's what it takes to-"
Spider-sense.
He raised his right leg and kicked her away. She barely moved while he stumbled and fell on his back, but was enough. The elevator to his left exploded and Lana dashed through with a bright flash, "You're not-" Whatever the seductress planned to say was cut off when Lana blasted her straight through the wall. Peter felt an unseen pressure release him and he fell to his knees.
"Pete, are you alright?! What's wrong?!"
"She's...I can't..."
A wave of green energy came from their right and impacted hard against Lana, flinging her to the wall hard enough to leave an impact, "You two are sincerely beginning to annoy me." She looked different now. Her bathrobe was replaced with a green archaic attire and she floated through the air while magical energy swirled all around her.
Lana pried herself from the wall and shot another blast of energy at the sorceress. The woman flicked her wrist and the blast dissipated like a wall had blocked it, "What the shit?"
"If you're hoping to beat an Asgardian, little girl, then you'll have to do better than that."
Asgardian. No wonder Minoru had no clue where that magic came from.
...And the chances of them leaving this alive just dropped down astronomically.
'Shit...' Asgardians could be even worse than demons. Least those bastards had some kind of unwritten rule for most of them. Asgardians didn't have those. He just barely noticed Lana zipping around the penthouse while she and the woman exchanged shots, 'Come on...' Hellfire hurt them, but he'd have to get close to her. It was the only way they'd survive this.
He'd just managed to grab the knife when the sorceress screamed. Peter turned to the side and saw the blonde stumble back with a bloody nose. Lana punched her with an explosive fist, "You little brat!" Oh...damn it. Pete braced himself just before the sorceress practically exploded with magical power. Lana was flung back and crashed through the window with Peter following after.
Lana flailed through the air for just a second before she righted herself, "Pete, grab me!" She reached a hand out up towards him. Peter followed the desparate cry on instinct and when they were close enough she pulled him into a tight embrace.
"What are you doing?!"
"I'll use myself to cushion the fall!"
"Are you crazy?! Even you'd die from that!"
"Better than both of us going!"
"Better idea..." He pressed twice on his right webshooter and shot a line when they were near a 100 feet from impact. Peter grit his teeth before the web snapped taut and they stopped with enough force that his arm would've been ripped out of its socket if he were someone normal. Peter let out a pained shout and only managed to hold on for a couple of seconds before their fall continued.
Lana hugged him tighter as they landed on top of a parked car. Just like back at the carnival he found himself flung away from her grip and rolling against the ground. His arm was still attached but he wouldn't be moving it anytime soon, "L-Lana...?" She was still on top of the car. She didn't reply for a moment until she suddenly coughed and rolled off the bent metal and shattered glass.
"Well, well..." The sorceress flew down gracefully behind him. A few of the people around them who didn't take the chance to run gaped at the floating Asgardian, "You two are just like cockroaches. Just refuse to lay down."
"Ha...go fuck yourself, bitch..." Lana laughed weakly.
Peter was tempted to just fling the knife at her face as a last ditch effort when another impact landed to his side. The Asgardian's eyes widened and she stepped back in fear, "It can't be. You-"
"Yes, indeed." The new arrival was a man...unmistakably so. His broad chest was bare and hairy and his chiseled, bearded face was covered in a lion's mane. Aside from that he wore a pair of well-worn gladiator sandals and a skirt that, from Peter's position, was exceedingly clear didn't come with a pair of underwear, "An ally of mine told me of foul tidings in this city. I should have known it was you, Amora."
"Herakles. Have you come to pledge allegiance to me?" Her lips curled in a sultry smile.
"Nay. Though I appreciate beauty in all its forms, your tainted spirit leaves even your charms tainted. Come, Amora, I will be these mortals champion."
That was as much as Peter saw before he passed out. When consciousness slowly came back to him he felt the window on his cheeks and the sounds of rushing air against his ears.
"Ah, you're finally awake!" Peter opened his eyes fully and found himself looking up at the bearded man's smiling face. With the light of the moon behind his head he looked like an image straight out of myth, "I knew that Amora could not have felled you, man of Spiders."
"Yeah, thanks..." Herakles (or was it Hercules?) jumped and landed on top of a high, secluded roof. The older man set him down gently and he saw Lana run up after him. She looked uninjured. Thank god for those new powers of hers, "So...what happened?"
"I have beaten Amora in combat and ensured that her spell will be reversed. My old friend Thor shall handle her punishment."
"Least that's one bit of good news." Peter groaned. His arm was still sore but at least he could move it now, "You okay, Lana?"
"Yeah. Kinda dicey there for a sec but we'll pull through." She smiled weakly up at him. It looked beautiful, "This is the friend Nico said she'd call. His name's-"
"Hercules Panhellenios, though you may call me Hercules or 'Herc'. I understand people adore nicknames." He smiled. Wow, he really lived up to that godly name, didn't he? That smile could start wars.
...
"...I think whatever charm spell she cast is still here."
"How can you tell?" Lana asked.
"Because I'm looking at Herculus right now and all I can think about is what's under that skirt."
"Mayhaps that's just your own feelings. I have been known to have that effect on men." He laughed boisterously, "But yes, I suppose that is a possibility. You are the first man I've seen since Thor himself who has resisted Amora's machinations. I commend you."
"It wasn't me. You can thank the Spider-God for that."
"Hm, yes, I do sense a spark of divinity tethered to you. But do not downplay your own achievements, man of spiders. I assure you that your strength of will is commendable all on its own."
"My name is Peter."
"Ah, yes. Peter it is then." He clapped him on the back and laughed again.
"By the way, I got a call from the hospital a couple minutes ago. They said Lily was awake," Lana said. Her relief was palpable.
"Problem solved, even if we didn't do anything..." They would've been dead if Hercules didn't show up...
"Do not say that!" Hercules looked honestly offened, "I could not have found Amora on my own. It was by the actions of us and Nico that this crisis has been solved and tragedy avoided. We played all our roles well, Peter."
"Yeah...thanks." Peter smiled, small but genuine.
Before we go our separate ways may I ask for both of your cellular numbers? I believe it is fate that I meet two brave young mortals this day and it would be a shame if we were to part so quickly after such a meeting."
"Why not? Never had a god on my contact list before." Lana grinned.
"Sure. Friends are a rarity in this madhouse."
They exchanged numbers with Hercules then said their goodbyes. Apparently he was going back to check on Nico. Peter stood up shakily and groaned. He recognized this place. It'd just be a ten minute walk back to Gwen's apartment.
"You okay, Pete?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine." He didn't look at her. The charm was definitely still there and the last thing he needed was seeing Lana that way, "We should probably go our separate ways here. I'm sure you wanna check in on your sister."
"Definitely, but I wanna make sure you're alright. That web stunt you pulled was nasty."
"I heal quick, you know that. Now scoot, and say hi to your sister for me."
He was about to jump down when Lana hugged him from behind. The gesture lasted for only a few seconds before she loosened her grip, "Thanks for helping me, Pete. You ever need anything you call. You know that, right?"
"Yeah, of course."
Peter jumped to the next rooftop and made his way back to Gwen's apartment. The second floor window would be open; probably cause they all used it more than the front door these days. He jumped through after making sure no one was watching and brought a hand through his sweat-soaked hair. He felt exhausted, but more than sleep he wanted something else.
Gwen was bundled up on the couch with a pair of blue shorts and a loose yellow shirt that left her right shoulder exposed. Peter gulped nervously as he took a step to announce his presence. Seeing her made him feel guilty about his thoughts back at the penthouse even though he knew it was stupid. Magic like that would make you forget even the love of your life. Of course he was putty in that woman's hands.
Gwen looked up from her tablet and her brows furrowed when she saw him, "You alright?"
"Yeah, rough day." He layed down on the couch and put his head on her lap. She seemed surprised before she relaxed and moved till they were more properly placed, "Helped Lana out with something and I think I made a friend with a Greek or Roman god. I have his cellphone number."
"Hm...I really wanna say I'm surprised, but I'm really not."
"Yeah. By the way, we fought with an Asgardian sorceress and she hit me with a charm spell. Figured it'd make more sense if I came back here. Sorry if I'm being so handsy."
"Honestly, I wish you'd be more 'handsy'. I'll take what I can get." She meant it was a joke but Peter didn't miss the slight hint of bitterness in the words. He knew he wasn't the most...affectionate boyfriend and she always understood that. She was always more patient with him than she needed to be.
"...You know, I've been thinking about what you said a few days ago. Maybe I should talk to a therapist."
"You should. Doc Samson can help you in things I can't." Peter closed his eyes and just breathed in her scent. She was intoxicating, "...MJ talked to me earlier. She said that you called her to try and help us patch things up. Thanks."
"Least I could do." There was more he wanted to say, but right now he just wanted to collapse, "...Love you, Gwen."
"Love you too, Pete."
Sleeping Beauties finished. I know some people won't like the ending being anti-climactic but it was deliberate. Noir and Lana are pretty low on the power scale now that more and more heroes/villains are showing up and sometimes they will just run into things they feasibly cannot fight. And that includes ancient Asgardian Sorceresses who fight gods on the daily.
So of course we have Hercules show up and deal with that shit off-screen. It's the same thing Frog-Man felt when the street level vigilantes show up. At the very least Herc does point out that they did a lot of work so they weren't useless.
Oh, and before anyone asks, no I won't show Peter being a tour guide for Deadpool and Domino. That call was more to make things light and a reminder of some of the things Noir did in the year long timeskip.
Next chapter will be about Mary Jane, Gwen and possibly Norah. Gwen's finally going to be active again.
Question:
1. For the next Hand arcs, do you mind if I put the POV on Iron Fist and Echo? Writing fight scenes for Peter is difficult because I have to explain away why he never just webs everyone down (though that's a question I also ask for canon Spidey and Gwen...). Putting the POV on the martial artists and leaving Noir out of focus for fights can help alleviate that issue.
2. I asked before about protagonists helping each other out on their arcs and got a mixed response so here's something more specific: would you guys like it if Gwen specifically helped out the Defenders? While she doesn't like most of them she could definitely tolerate it if it meant helping keep Peter safe.
3. Romance question, but does Noir come across as a bad boyfriend? It's mentioned in the last segment that he's not overtly affectionate or emotional and I'm thinking of tackling that issue in the coming chapters, particularly in how it relates to Noir default to finding something violent to distract himself during grief.
Review answers:
NoSpaceForName - Gwen going batshit is because Mary Jane frames it as her choice and, as Karen Page points out, she has controlling tendencies that can go overboard. It comes from a place of love and worry but it's hard to deny that Gwen can be outright domineering at times with what she considers to be for her friends own good.
Matteo - I'd argue Peter's more morally gray given that he has no mind monster compelling him to kill. He just does it and willingly allies with people like Bullseye or Punisher.
Kryn Womble - Gwen mentioned even from V1 that She-Hulk tried to get her to break up with Peter but she always refused. She-Hulk doesn't try to arrest Peter because it would definitely turn Gwen and Cindy against the Avengers. Hawkeye trusts Gwen more than the others so you might lose her too. And of course Wasp and Moon Knight have something so her only real ally would be Captain America, who looks the other way for pragmatic reasons.
Also, Gwen suggested Peter go to the Initiative before and he said no given that, like MJ, he doesn't feel like he belongs on a fancy super team. He's a vigilante, not a superhero.
Titan616 - Hey, been a while :) With regards to Peter and Bullseye, yeah he needs to talk to Karen. Also, would MJ really be at risk of Hell? She's no more at risk than Peter is and they talk about him being hellbound as the Lizard, not as Noir.
Didn't MJ bring up the deal? IIRC she did tell Gwen that she did it to pacify Crimson but then she admitted later she likes doing it. As for whether she's affected by Carnage? Of course she is...the same way Carnage is affected by her. It's slow going but you notice that Carnage is getting less and less kill crazy and more readily adheres to MJ's rules the longer the story goes on. They also snipe at each other less.
Also, why would being a gov. assassin ultimately backfire? There are a lot of government assassins in fiction who made out just fine if they kept their mouth shut and followed orders. As long as MJ isn't sent to kill someone innocent, which Gyrich is unlikely to do for pragmatism's sake, she should be clear.
